Background and justification
UNICEF and the government of Cameroon have signed a program cooperation agreement with the ambition to address, among others, maternal and child undernutrition between 2013 and 2017. The nutrition component of the cooperation program aims at accelerating progress towards reducing stunting and other forms of malnutrition in Cameroon. More specifically, the program is geared towards scaling up the prevention of undernutrition and improving the nutritional status of children under five, pregnant and lactating women. Its main outcome is to improve access of children under 5 and pregnant and lactating women to high-quality and proven preventive and curative nutrition interventions in the four vulnerable regions of the Far North, the North, Adamawa and the East. The program is designed around the following components: i) promotion of adequate infant and young child feeding practices, ii) community-based management of severe acute malnutrition, iii) prevention and control of micronutrient deficiencies, and iv) creation of a more enabling environment for nutrition.
Going forward, there is a need to assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability, and equity-focus of this cooperation program over the five years of implementation. The lessons of this evaluation could be used to inform future nutrition programming in Cameroon.
Purpose and objectives of the evaluation:
The overall purpose of the evaluation is to undertake a review of the UNICEF Cameroon nutrition program in order to generate knowledge, identify gaps in program implementation, and document best practices as well as lessons learned that could be used to inform future nutrition programming in Cameroon.
The specific objectives of the evaluation are as follows:
o To assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability, and equity-focus of the UNICEF nutrition program over the five years of implementation;
o To determine the appropriateness of the strategies used to achieve the planned results;
o To determine the extent to which the program has been implemented with sufficient quantity, quality and timeliness;
o To identify key barriers and gaps to effective implementation;
o To document any good practices and lessons learned during the program cycle;
o To make recommendations to inform strategies for the subsequent Country Program Document (CPD) 2018-2020.
The evaluation will therefore: i) assess the extent to which the planned inputs have contributed to the achievement of the anticipated results, ii) identify the reasons why or why not the achievements have been made, and iii) examine any unintended positive or negative results of the program.
Evaluation scope
The evaluation will assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the UNICEF’s 2013-2017 nutrition program cooperation in Cameroon.
The evaluation will be conducted in the four vulnerable regions of Cameroon (Far North, North, Adamawa and East) where the program has been implemented. It will be conducted in a participatory manner, involving key stakeholders (e.g. government partners, UN agencies, civil society organizations and beneficiary groups) in all phases. The evaluation will be retrospective and cover the period of 2013 to 2017 in which the current UNICEF program cycle has been implemented.
Evaluation Methods
Data will be collected from various sources: secondary sources, health system databases, discussions with key informants and observations during visits to program sites. Five major techniques of data collection will be used: i) desk review and secondary data review of documents and quantitative data from the nutrition program and health system databases; ii) individual interviews with key informants; iii) focus group discussions with UNICEF staff and relevant stakeholders at national and sub national levels; iv) direct observations of operations at program sites; and v) triangulation of information obtained from various sources. The community perspective will be assessed through collection of opinions from key stakeholders, namely caregivers and extended family, community leaders, health workers, nutrition service providers and other government staff at national and sub national levels.
The suggested evaluation methods are just indicative and the contracted institution/evaluation team will propose a detailed methodology for the evaluation during the inception period. The table below outlines some of the basic aspects that should be taken into account by the evaluation team with regard to the methodology.
Timeline
The consultancy will be for 98 working days. It is articulated around four main phases: i) inception phase, ii) data collection, iii) data analysis and iv) reporting and dissemination.
Ethical considerations
Participants in the evaluation need to understand the possible implications of their participation in the process. In this regard, all information should be made available to allow them to make an informed decision about their participation. In addition, all the information collected within the framework of this evaluation should be kept confidential. Finally, the evaluation should provide clear and understandable results and recommendations. The information related to this evaluation should be collected, analyzed and interpreted accurately and impartially.
Logistics Arrangements
The evaluation team will carry out the major part of the work in Cameroon. The consultancy requires travel to all four regions in which UNICEF Cameroon nutrition program is implemented (Far North, North, Adamawa and East). The overall coordination of the evaluation will be the responsibility of UNICEF Cameroon team, with the technical support of the WCARO Regional Nutrition Advisor. The evaluation team will work directly with the UNICEF Cameroon nutrition team. They will report directly to the UNICEF Cameroon chief of PME.
Payment Schedule
Payment will only be made for work satisfactorily completed and accepted by UNICEF.
Qualifications and Specialized Knowledge/experience required
UNICEF is seeking an international consultant who will partner with a national consultant to conduct the evaluation. The evaluation team should be composed of one international expert and one national consultant. The international consultant will be the team leader and will have to identify the national consultant. The combined team should be able to demonstrate the following qualifications, skills and experience:
o Advanced University degree in Human Nutrition or related fields
o Proven experience in in conducting evaluation of nutrition programs
o Demonstrated experiences in managing nutrition programs
o Good knowledge about Cameroon and ongoing nutrition programs and initiatives
o Good knowledge of UNICEF’s and its policies, programmes and priorities in Nutrition
o Good understanding of the latest developments in nutrition
o Ability to express clearly and concisely ideas and concepts in written and oral form
o Fluency in French and English
o Good communication skills and computer literacy analysis
The roles and responsibilities of each individual consultant should be clearly defined. The team leader will be responsible for all key deliverables and will coordinate the work of the team throughout the duration of the mission to ensure the quality and timely clompletion of all deliverables.
Proposal submission
Applications shall be submitted to UNICEF Cameroon before the deadline containing the following required documentation:
- Technical Proposal: Consultant shall prepare a proposal in response to the ToR, ensuring that the purpose, objectives, scope, criteria and deliverables of the assessment are addressed. Draft work plan and timeline for the assessment should be included. The Technical Proposal shall also include updated CV and Personal History Forms (P11) of the consultant, and copies of 2 assessments performed previously by the consultant.
- Financial Proposal: Offer with cost breakdown: Consultancy fees, international (economy class) and internal travel costs, Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) and required translations and other costs. The Financial Proposal shall be submitted in a separate file, clearly named Financial Proposal. No financial information should be contained in the Technical Proposal.
More Information
- Job City Yaounde
